Come as you are: Dennis Van Peel

COME AS YOU ARE

In the past months we got in touch with several artists, long-time collaborators and young creatives to talk about their work, how they see self-expression and what the future holds. Let’s inspire each other, be our true selves and do what we love.

We meet Dennis van Peel (26) at ‘Have a roll’ in Antwerp, his first shop in the heart of the city. Dennis is a Belgian fashion blogger and jewelry designer who found joy in baking during the pandemic. Join us to find out what exactly makes this creative tick and how he views himself in these rapidly changing times.

Pictures by Robin Joris Dullers

How did you decide one day to start up your own business in your twenties?
My drive really comes from my intuition. If it feels good and I enjoy doing it why not go for it? I started pretty early, back in 2016, when I began to post menswear on Instagram. I just really liked sharing this kind of content and eventually I started my own brand TAWO with a companion of mine. We noticed there was a lack of nice silver jewellery for men on the market and we saw that gap as an opportunity to start our own brand. When in 2020 the pandemic hit, as a lot of people, I discovered a new passion. Actually, I rekindled my passion for baking. At an early age I was absolutely certain I was going to be a baker but as many dreams, it was put on a back burner for a while since I was committed to my study of Economics. I think a coincidental coming together of all these events and experiences let me hatch out the idea of opening up my own bakery and building out a strong brand around it.
How do you manage to juggle these 3 projects mentally?
It is quite busy since I’m working on video and photo content for my own social media on a daily base, next to that I work fulltime for ‘Have a roll’ and then I also have to make sure TAWO is moving forward. ‘Have a roll’ does take up most of my time lately, since it’s expanding quickly. We opened a pop-up shop in a second location in Belgium (Ghent) during the summer, so that was an extra busy period. I like to call myself an organized chaos: icy calm on the outside but very chaotic on the inside. There are moments where I feel like I won’t make it but int he end it always -somehow- works out. I did realize that it’s impossible to focus on all of these project at once, so I decided to open the store only from Wednesday to Saturday.  Time management is key to keep your head above water.
Whats next for you?
I’m dreaming of expanding ‘Have a roll’, that is the biggest thing on my mind right now. Of course, I want to balance it with my other interests such as traveling. The last few years have been crazy and I really miss traveling. I used to go regularly on trips for business but also to dive into new cultures and get inspired by it. So that’s definitely on the agenda, and I’m secretly thinking about living abroad for a while.. but that remains an idea for now.
How important are accessories for you?
I always wear sunglasses and jewelry since I feel it levels up my look. The mix & match of your accessories can highlight your own unique look & lets you stand out in the crowd.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
People and places. I live in Antwerp since I was 20 and I really have a strong connection with the city, it feels like home to me. I get new energy on a daily base by seeing all these different styles. Antwerp is an important fashion hub in Europe, and that creative energy really runs through the city. Next to that, but certainly equally important, I have a really great friend group.  I love how they express themselves throughout clothing and accessories! A lot of them also work in fashion, so you could say we’re kindred spirits that support & push each other.

Want to see more?

Dennis Van Peel

Have A roll

 

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